Author name: Jon Torrens

Novice public speakers ask me what the key is to confidence, and the simple answer is that it’s a result of applying yourself to the various aspects involved, many of which I give advice about in other posts on this blog. In short, there is no simple answer, because there’s no easy solution, there’s no […]

I watched ‘Gambit’ last night, a movie with Colin Firth and Cameron Diaz, and the excellent Pip Torrens. One of the trailers before the film was for ‘Robot and Frank’, which looks very good. I know this because the trailer showed the initial scenario, the characters, snappy lines of dialogue, major plot developments, and, well… everything. Movie

“Don’t think. Feel.” When Bruce Lee says this classic line in 1973 martial arts movie ‘Enter the Dragon’, he’s instructing a student in the ways of unarmed combat, of allowing things to flow without letting conscious thought cloud the process. This is also pretty good advice for anyone standing up in front of a group of

How does a comedian, when walking out onto the stage at a comedy club, achieve that incredible level of confidence? I mean, come on, they’re smiling! Most people think “If that was me, I’d be terrified.” When I was going on-stage at a comedy club, here’s what I had: 1.) Lots of experience2.) Bravado Yes, I’d

This post is the epitome of blog efficiency: brief, to the point, and full of goodness; the electronic equivalent of salmon sashimi. So crack apart your wooden chopsticks and tuck in. Here’s one of the most important lessons I learnt as a stand-up comic for public speaking:If in doubt, cut it out. Cut out the